The sun. [volume], March 01, 1917, Page 14, Image 14

About The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920

Image provided by: The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation

                
14
THE SUN, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1917.
AND NEW TOHK PP.E8S.
TllUJtSDAY, MARCH 1, 1017.
Catered nt the Post onice nt New York u
Kccoi.d Oluss Mall Matter.
Siibsirlpthins by Mall, I'eistpald
DAILY, Per Month...... ,
M AO
6 00
15
JO
? SO
H Ml
ti
1 ti
hi
DAILY, IV r rear
KtJNHAV, Per Month
SUNDAY (tu Cannela), Per Month....
SUNDAY, 1'. r Year
DAILY AM) SUNDAY, Per Year....
DAILY AND SUNDAY, l'e" Month ..
I'llKUUN llATtn,
DAILY, Trr Month
SUNDAY, I'er Month
DAILY AND SUNDAY, I'er Month.
1 vu
30
.1 00
1 10
Tim nVtlN'fNf! Ht'N, I'er Month
Till: KV'lI.VINel SCN, I'er Ycir
THE UVII.N'I.N'U SUNtKorelgnJ.l'cr Mo.
All checks, money orders, etec1., to be
made payable la Tiik Hen.
Published dally, Including Sttmlny. hy the
fun Printing nnd Publishing Aencbitlnn at
160 KnseAU street, in, the Horongh of Man
hattan, New York. President, frank A.
-Munsey, lt.o N'a.aau street; Vice-President,
llrvin Wardman. let) Nneiinu street; Sec
retary, II. II. Tltherlnuti.n, tW) NtiH-au
treet: Treasurer, Win. T. Denutt, ISO Naa-
au atreet.
London entice, 40.4.1 Fleet street.
Paris entce, l lino d lit Mlchudlcre,
off
Hue tin tjuaire septeintire,
WashloKtuo mile. Muneey intlMIti;.
IJrooklyn ottlee, Itoont 20J, llaiclu Hulld
Ins, 30.1 Wmhlnctnn etrt-et.
II our ttttttcli irA' Joittr ut Mils rnant.
aerial aim 4luf ruf IcirtN for pulttrntton tcls
I Jbiie rrltcltit allien- rrlurnnl thru mull
In aU catti tend limpn Jur that purpotc.
TF.LCI'ItONC, UEI'.KMAN 2200.
Overt Act and Overt Fact.
The overt net," Mild President
Wilson, "lia.s not occurred."
Before lio spoke It lmd. The sink
ing of the I.ucoulu with further loss
of American life Is reported to have
met the President's own test of recog
tuition nt sight.
t Is something to know nn overt
net when you see one. A large mini
ber of persons do not lime to behold
murder to Identify It, however.
If we have lieeome too wonled to
murder In the durk shnpe which It
assumed for the Americans on the
I.nconlu, that Is un overt fact so
shocking that the country may we'l
consider who Is to blame.
Where Education Ik Needed.
Discussion of the universal -ci'vlii
ami training plan sent to Congress
by the tJcneral Stuff of the army
must for the moment be merely aca
demic. There Is no chance In the hur
ried I:tt days of this session for con
sideration of the measure, while the
obstacles In the vt.iy of Its passago
will, we fear, take years of pains
taking public eillicetiiai to remoe.
Tin; American people hae behm-l
them not only '.he record of their own
freedom from any save vol tint a r
military service except brlelly dur
ing the civil war but have Inherited
the HrltMi aversion to a great iu
tlonal citizen army. That prejudlc"
has cost not only (ire.it P.rltuln but
the whole world dear In the last three
years, Tor It Is merely historic truth
to say that 'had l-'nghiiid pos,'Ned
anything except u "contciiiitlble lit
tle army" the War Lord of (lenn.inv
would mil lmc thrown down his
gauntlet to the whole world.
Ho, too. did the I'nlfed Slato lo-day
possess anything esc nt what anolliei
German observer dt-crlb-s as a
"wooden sword" our people would
not have been mas-acrcd on the high
sens nor would our few ship.s b'
rusting at their d"cUs.
Hrielly the bill n-.;s nt the peopK
tbnt each year able bodied bojs iviu o
Ing the age of T.I r Zt.ill be enrolled In
the citizen army, there to uudeiu'i
Intensive military training for t'ir.
period of eleven nionilis. I'nr two
yenrs there.ifier I hey will be subji
to two weeks training aimiially. Kor
four years and one month alter thti"
first training they are to be enrolled
In the first reserve, and for eleven
yenrs thereafler in the second reserve.
Tlrcse trained soldiers are to be cube!
upon for service only In time of war.
ns every untrained man Is legally lia
ble to be to-day. A regular profes
sional army Is provided for the or
dinary garrison nntl other duties of
times of peace.
It Is Idle at this moment to go into
the detulls of this hill. The to.-.t of lr
ultimate acceptance will depend upon
the willingness and ability of the
people to see that universal traleiiu.
produces the only democratic army;
provides the only Just method of ob
taining from every citizen his proper
contribution toward the national de
fence; nverts the cruel Inhumanity
of having, In moments of national
danger, to send our boys into nctlon
utterly untrained to meet the well
trained soldiers of the enemy; builds
,np the physical stnmlnn and sense of
patriotic devotion of our youth, nnd
provides for ns the only efficient
form of nntlonal defence at the mo
ment of greatest peril.
All these forces for national good
nre Incorporated in n working plan
for universal military training. Nev
ertheless only those who are Igno
rantly sanguine nn hope that ti meas
ure of so revolutionary a character.
Judged by our past history, can be
niado-law without long and effective
education of the people.
Mr. Howclls at Eight) .
At eighty William Dean I lo wells
refuses to take his place among tho
Immortals. With n gentle obstinacy
ho exercises his well known prefer
ence for the delights of earth, clilef
cst among them the day's work per
formed In New York or Huston or in
little Maine retreat and productive
of quiet pleasure in the remotest cor
ners of the globe. Quiet pleasure ami
occasional irritation; Mrs. Athkrion
unil others have spoken their minds
about the simple tales that Mr. How
ells writes nntl favors. It Is triiis
that the Kasy Chair of Franklin
Square has slight patience with ro
mantle authors. It Is his limitation.
Ho does not like Turner sunsets In
fiction and presumably thinks It no
use pretending he does.
Mr. HowKi.i.s would never have
written "Richard 1'everel," "Lord
Jim," "Tpjs of the D'Urbcrvlllcs,"
nor even "Tho Old Wives' Tule."
Hut ho did write "Tho lllso of Kilns
l.nplmni" and "A Ht.znrd of New
Fortunes." They are Importnnt Hems
of American literature; If they are
not esteemed Important Items of liter
uture by some, that Is nothing to quar
rel about. How can 11 man be ex
pected to ln a poet, it critic and fos
terer of young talents, nn editor, n
writer of essays and ituvoimis trnvet
books of short stories, of farces and
of tlo.ens of novels and at the snme
time be exacted to produce epics
Immediately accepted by nil? He
sides, Mr. llowKi.l.H Is still writing.
Another Field Day In the Re'chittat;.
To chop logic Is "to dispute or ar
gue In a sophistical manner, or with
an affectation of logical teniH or
methods." As u chopper of logic there
has never been the tspial of th-J Ger
man Chancellor, lr. vox Hkthmax.v
IIoii.wko, in his latest gpi.ti'li In the
ltelchstng he has excelled himself.
Neter did he succeed so badly In mak
ing tho worse upiear the better rea
son, which win plainly his purine.
The sK"c:li, however, must have been
made for iiunw coiHUtuptton. Invause
not even ti German statesman could
believe that twutals would be deceived
by his cuttlefish methods.
That l'resltk'nt Wn.sox should
break off diplomatic relations with
Germany on n-celpt of her piratical
manifesto of January til was a
brusque btmlness, according to the
CliaiH'ellor. There was of course noth
ing bromine ubvut the threat to sink
"all ships" that entered the "b.trreil
zone." That was a step thoughtfully
taken for the welfare of neutrals, that
Is to say to keep their shlis In the
home ports. Mr. Wn.so.v repaid tills
delicate conxideiMtion by rudely giv
ing the German AnilMssador his pass
ports. We wonder what the Dutch
and Scandinavian neutrals, who have
few ships kft, will think of the Chan
cellor's assurance that "we meet half
way all wl-lie.s of neutrals that can
be compiled with"? They cannot be
blamed If they full to sf the lltx; dis
tinction between a blockade, and the
"definite barred zones within which
every ship hits to count on Immediate
attack." '
Never befon- lias lr. Ilot.i.wi.o ven
tured to ep!ain why Great Hiltaln
lias not emulate! Germany In taking'
the Hum of iion-coiubatauis at sea.
"Well, gentlemen." -aays lie. "why did
tile Itrltlsli not endanger American
lives? (Inly Im-musc neutral roun
tries, inul csjvlay America, volun
tarily submitted to tlw lirlilsh orders,
and becaiii-e the llnilsh, then-fore,
could attain their object without em
ploj Ing force." It must be that tb"
Chancellor In his mind's eye sis
Hritlsh submarines torpedoing' neutral
merchantmen with or without warn
ing and semtlui: nou-ci liibatiiuts to the
bottom bci-nif-e they would not put up
with vtslT t: fill i-eiireh, defying .rder.s
In Council.
It ronuivcs a Prussian Imagination
to discover any rene.ni why a neutral
ship, which may have recourse to ihe
Admiralty courts, should try to pro
voke a belligerent war vessel to sink
her and to send every sailor and pas
senger to Davy Jones's locker. Hut
however that may be, the fact stands
that the Germans take the lives ofiplexlng International problems, anil
iiiui-coiiibatniils on the high sea and
tho Uflil-.li do not.
Again Dr. Hoi.i.wku harps on the
Htitlsli "starvation blockade," nntl he
holds the railed Stales responsible
for not asserting "the freedom of the
eas" to put an end to itrltlsli re
striction. Yet nt the outbreak of the
war Germany had the second most
powerful navy In thn world. Although
very s.roiig In lirst line of battle ships
It bus never come out to tlisput" llrlt-l-.li
control of the .seas. Kven Spain
risked her navy in th - war of INis
The Gorman fleet Is always kept In
the background of the Chancellor's
logic. In fact, he never mentions It.
Hut If the shoe were on the other
font, what then? We should have
heard nothing about the freedom of
the seas, nothing about a dastardly
starvation blockade If Germany hail
broken and scattered the Itrltlsli fleet
and deprived Knghuid of her food
supply, which was really a prime ob
ject of German strategy.
I.imering Food Prices.
Several readers send to us outlines
of schemes to reduce the prices of
food, and if we do not prlut them all
It Is not from lack of sympathy
with tho object sought. In the main
they Introduce erroneous assumptions
or are Imiiorfectly elaborated. A sur
prising numlier of them are built on n
solid foundation, however. This foun
dation Is the fact that the public can,
to a certain extent, regulate prices by
buying' or refusing lo buy. tt Is uiir
old friend the law of supply and de
mand a little dressed up for the Im
mediate occasion.
If our friends would stop to reflect
wu believe they would arrive at sev
eral Interesting conclusions, running
somewhat ut follows:
The present high prices of food enn
be reasonably accounted for by many
factors, of which the- more important
are a general shortage In tho world's
supplies and the lessened purchasing
power of money.
The shortnge Is a fact and there is
no going behind It,
The lower puivhnsliig power of the
dollar Is duo to the Increased number
of dollars In circulation, which, In
turn. Is due to gold imports and the
resulting credit expansion. This Is
partly uncontrollable.
Another iiotent Influence In creating
high prices is bad distributing and
marketing facilities. The foully dis
tribution Is tho result of undernour
ished railroads. And by undernour
ished railroad wo mean rnllronda
which have been persistently starved
for years so that they have not equip
ment to hnndle present trnflle.
.Of courso rnllrond equipment can
not be supplied in n day, n month or n
year, especially when countries nt war
pay top prices 'for the products of the
factories. Nor can marketing arrange
ments he transformed overnight.
In shortages of supply, more plenti
ful dollars, peml-Siberlnu truusortu
tlon nnd Inferior markets there Is
finite enough to account for present
food prices without Imagining gigan
tic conspiracies afoot. We nil know
there Is sptculatlon going on In food
stuffs, but (.'very evidence points to It
ns the work of Individuals acting
alone or In the loosest concert. few
undoubtedly conspire and can be
caught and punished tinder our laws.
Hut punished or not they and their
acts are negligible factors.
What, then, can we safely Infer
from such conclusions as these? Why,
that high prices arc very' largely be
yond our control unless we susend
the operation of economic laws by ap
pointing a food dictator, fixing mat
mum prices nnd rationing the nation.
We hear no finnttc apiieaU for such
a radical and effective step. Instead
the talk of an embargo on foodstuffs
Is rev Ived. Of some of the unexpected
and Inevitable resfflts of such an em
bargo Tiik Siln spoke several months
go. Hut an einlnirgo would not neces
sarily lower prices, l'roducers and
speculators would not be coinisjlletl to
ask lins Just bi:nuse they could not
sell abroad. There Is, In fact, only
one thing In the world that can affect
them, and that Is refusal (o buy. The
emliargo, If It Is to accomplish any
thing, must be placed at home.
We do not advocate such an em
bargo. It would be biting off ihe uoe
to spile the face. Prices will con
tinue at n high level ;is the result
..u, ... " ";"'V
., , , ,,
rue result oi me vvnr. purity nn un
result of our own mistakes and omis
sions, and only Incidentally here and
there ns the result of personal greisl.
Within the piny of their higher range
they tui lie very considerably eon
trolled nnd regulated by th- public
acting Individually nnd In greater or
smaller organizations with :i double i
I,., fr.kll.i.l ill., tllillf.t, .Ilk ..III. I
, i ,i
plo.vmen of food .substitutes nnd the
' , , , . ,
Judicious refusal to buy.
J
Party Support of the President.
There Is little patriotism and les
truth In the assertion so persistently
made by the partisan press that the:
Republicans. In Congress are frying' American shipowners shoi1! I..I..
to harass the President In his wrestle !out timidity Insurance and tli-lr
with the International crisis. '"mIT " C''"1I",t l""'r
It would be a menace to tho nation '
If this charge were well founded. The Our commerce, which is sunYrlntr in
I eiiioeratle niajorlli, so slender In apprehension rather than suffiring In
this Congress. ilisnpp.mrs altogether
In the next. If fhe President Is t
be supported at all it must Is- by a
distinctly non-partisan or perhaps U1
parttsau majority.
.Mr. Wiison has not been makl':.';
easier the work of forming and weld-
t,., 1........ Ll...r I...-I, ..
... I iihi.i'.iii.
based mi patriotism mid not on poll , of lm. 1(lft powerful opponents ()f
tics. He lias manifested distrust of preiaredne.ss are constantly In a state
Congress as a body. To-day he N ' of preparedness. The present Con
strlvlng to the Utmost to secure from ' Krc"" wollU1 rathtr grease tho ways
It a gift of plenary power that i. 1 f"r I'ork than lor battleships.
may b" able to dispense with the
legislative branch of the Government
altogether for nine mouths, sure lo
lie tilled with most delicate and pcr-
possibly to be nine niubtli.s of war. j
If the past record of the President allotted the happiness of escorting a
had been such as to enable Congress ! young woman home after dark had so
and the country to form a fair idea I ,lttl, of f-'ullnntry In bis makeup that
of what he might do with the power j1, '"V" bf ''Vl'3 Cb:iW'
, ,.,ii, Obviously there Is something wrong
it... set'K itteie wouot oe more miMiii
for grunting It. Hut he lias taken
every posblo position In tills con
troversy with Germany except that of
actual war. During the debate on
the .Mcl.emore resolution Congress
man Cooi'f ii of Wisconsin. Republican
ranking member of the Committee on
Foreign Aifnirs, cried pathetically:
"Gon knows I'd like to stand by the
President if he'd only stand still."
A like ierplexity lu.s always con-
fronted those who hnve sincerely de-ltween the United States and Japan,
sired to uphold Ills policy for more ' The writer, Lewis Ki.s-stkin, has had a
patriotic reasons than thoe of mere ' considerable and creditable experience
party discipline. ,''ur i"!''om?tlc "'rv,co !J",1afl atT
' , , , i tachfi of the American embassies anil
Ihe charge Is nettle that party t legations at 1'wis, London, t.'onstanti
splrlt holds the Republicans aloof. noplo and Pckln and as .Minister of
I.ef us see. Four Senators in tb"1 Costa Itlca: he was also secretary of
Committee on Foreign Relations op- ""' Ameiloun Commission to the Mo-
j posed the report of that committee
which grunted tno l .vsltlent In some
resiiecis more man ne iiskcii. i nree i
of these were Democrats Stonk.
O'Gomian and Hitchcock. From the
House committee comes the report
that tho President will be opposed
hy four Democrnts, Raospai.e, Shack
lekoko, Huddlkstonk and Thompson
of Oklahoma, The Republicans In
opposition are but two, C'oopeu and
Portkk of Pennsylvania, the latter
perhaps the most pronounced pro
German In the House. On tho floor
of that chamber the three men most
active In speaking ami In propaganda
work against tho President's policy
from the very tiny of tlte Liisltanla
note are Democrats, Raii.ky, Tavkn
nkh and Callaway. AH Incidentally
were beaten for reelection. And if
the Republican inlsleader of his party.
James It. Mamn, has been narrow,
pettifogging und unpatriotic In his
opposition to all tho President has
sought to do well, the pscudo leader
of the Democratic majority, Claudi:
Kitchin, has been equally lacking In
any qualities of broad Americanism
tilting him to lead in a moment of
great national stress.
Hut tlunlly, and most slgnltlcaut of
all, the wires tell us that William J.
Hkyan, lender of a powerful wing of
the Democratic party, by grace of
WooiiBtivv Wilson once Secretary of
State of the United Stntes, nnd now,
111 retirement, till! controlling spirit Of
n large minority of tho Democratic
members of Congres.i, Is speeding to
Washington. What for? To oppose
tho President's policy, to antagonize
his appeal for authority to uphold
American rights and the dignity ot
tho American nation.
With the spectacle of Bryan and
Kitciun and Stone before them Ad-
ministration newspapers make them
selves ridiculous by first overstating
and then denouncing ltcpubllcun hos
tility to the President's policy.
The President lined. nnd merits tlm
support of Congress not of the Dem
ocratic members only, or the Repub
licans, or fhe lone Socialist, but of n
working majority of alt. Hut to ob
tain It he must be clear and explicit
In his requests. He must not be so
tactless as to apporl for a gift of
authority at the same moment that
ho plans to get rid of Congress alto
gether. Ho will not get very far by
sending his jxillt teal fugleman, Ht'itt.t'.
so.v, to the Capitol lo coerce recalci
trant Democrats nnd coldly repulse
the altl of Republicans because they
tire Republicans.
In brief, If President Wilson- wants
what he must have If war Is Indeed
written In the Isiok of fate, a patrl-i
otic and not n partls-in majority be
hind him In Congress, he and his lieu
tenants should approach that bod;,
not as Democrats alone but ns Anier
leans altogether.
Make Bryan's Portrait Historic, g
Tin; diplomatic reception room nt I
the State Department Is about lo lie
adorned by a three-quarter length
portrnlt of Mr. Hkyan, holding In
his hand a scroll Inscribed "Depart
ment of State, IVuc? Plan."
It's a pity that the custom of lining
In the backgrounds of portraits with
shadowy suggestions of events with
which the lives of th, dignitaries de
picted were largely concerned ha
become obsolete.
Klse how greatly this portrait
might lf made lo contribute to the
education of the generations .vet uu
born, who in time to i-oine will throng
t tut t chamber, as now. in s(.;irch of
good fat consulships.
How flttlmr It Would be to depict
the drowning women and children of
-the l.iisltanla, the massacre of Car
rlzal. the sinking of the Sussex ami
l-'alaba. the cruel death from expo
sure of .Mrs. Ilov aiiil her daughter.
How thrilled the Americans of future
dn.vs would be to eoiitemplnte upon
1 1
this background of sinister history
., . . , ... ,. .. ., "
'the smug and smiling luce ot lie fnr-
iner Secretary of State, who for till
!hmt no remedy nor. retires save tb"
h.land and unctuous proffer of -
p,.,.e plan"!
Iact' nnuerstnnd that an appro
henslon Is never n fact; and that when
ships an1 tied up In iiort Indefinitely
eoninieivo does not, cannot by any
possibility of rhetoric, suffer In fact.
Tn passing the Mississippi "flood
control" bill- really a swaniji reclama
tion for tho benetlt of land specula
i,rn--tliM Sif.tlfitt i'i ulmu'n Ibrtl uiniti
free speech at Columbia Ir. IieTi.nn
says university oltieers may talk a they
please. Xetviiprr hniitllne.
Cuu the trustees do nothing to pro
tect a helpless community?
a New .lersey youth to wh mil was '
u-lth tlm
ilslng generation
on the
further side of tho Hudson.
Hritlsh authorities have removed the
rubber heels from the footwear of
members of tho Von Hernstorff party,
while United States prosecuting olti
eers tiro trying to take the cum shoes
o a number of exponents of Kulttir
In this country.
Wo call attention to the very sug
gesttvo article elsewhere on this pago
concerning tho future relations bo-
''" " "' ' '''"'"fs at .vigeciras in r.'u...
,,olnJ4.y for,cn policy Have been j
,n;,nv nod Imoortnnt. un.i I, i u-nrih
' remarking that a notable contribution
of his to tho JVatfoitaf Jfcrictr In 1!U3,
signed "Washington" because Mr. Kin
btein was then In tho diplomatic service
and could not use his own name, con
tained n remarkably clenr and sped lie
prediction of tho present great war.
Senator Robert M. La Foixiitte main
tains n fine consistency. Ho never has
wavered In his design to keep tho
American flag off tho hlprh seas.
"Everything that enters into the
cost of' Ico production has gone up,"
und consequently the Chicago dealers
have Increased prices by 20 per cent.
High temperature comes higher than
ever.
!f Dr. Haven Emerson has com
plained that Ueorrr W. I'urkinb wroto
a pamphlet on economical foods that
the ordinary householder can under
stand, every dietary expert In tho
country will sympathize In his pro
test. Whl . will become of tho "ex
perts" If their province Is Invaded by
persons who write and speak com"
prehcnslblo Kngllsh?
Ilulnrn Opportunities In Mexico.
from the Itujato A'rtrt.
The following was received by a lo.nl
flrm of itKnuf.icttirlnir plumbers:
Mbxko citv, Hi January.
More than one etibellero:
Mlcht I Impress with pleusuro the above
peoples to dbtpatch Juan VurvaH cutti
pltfteiy enunif ruttnn of rhower washes he-
fOtlru- liuthlnr rnnntx. 11 vbnnl.t I.a t,
)m,,ri.,e of .hower waehM In Atnerl-nu
i rU,u ,"r M'' l'Hv- itapidiy can tho
iibove peoplei ay ft.
With purity of lirart,
JCiN Vauoas A S'oss,
lnin.i Las Calif Independence, Mexico
City.
Armed Neutrality.
Knltkcr W3 It a ca of annul nu
tralltyT Mocker Ye, he Inn! the iheet over lil
liwl and a platol under the pillow.
WOULD IT IRRITATE THE
KAISER?
Perhaps UiiurepnrcdncsH Is I-'olloncd
to Assure Ills 1'lnrldlty.
To tub EniTon or Tub Sun h'lr: As
wo must sooner or later faco the Inevi
table war with Germany why do wo
Btanil Idle all the day?
Why Is It not feasible and practical
for the unonllMed men of oar city, nt
least for an hour or two, once, twite or
six times a week, to congregate In groups
KUfllclontly small to bo manageable, to
drill, whether with firearms or not, sim
ply for tho buiolU that the familiarity
with the military order nnd commands
will kIvc when the tlmo, comes for appli
cation? Any public purl: or siiuuro will more
than answer tho purpose, and t am
certain tbero arc men w nil nblo lo dilll
any and all men and Iiojh who will
volunteer. This drilling need not Imply
enlistment hi any department of tlm
t'lilted states army or navy; It will
simply mean a more IntetllBent enlist
ment when It lit-romes a necessity.
Nkvv YoiiK, Kebruary ZS. N. T. f.
HIGH PRICES.
Will Merchant Oilier Tliaii Food
.Speculators llefi'inl 'riimsehes?
To Tin: KniToit ok Tiik Scn Sir: Wo
common proplo appear to be helpless to
protect our slim imcketbooks from the
predatory raids of tho food sharks.
There is, however, another cl.tss Inter
ested In this uuestlou of Inflated food
prices, a class Interested In keeping
tlinni don n to p. moderate level. Thl
class Is f.y no means helpless; it Is a
class that has peculiarly elllelent meth
ods, lf(?.tl and extral-gal, of achieving
its purpot.".
TliU lias's a' yet does not appear to
realize what the present situation means
to them. IVm t fear, though, for when
lhi-y do awaken to their Interest the fond
s'.iai'.is are due fur a Kre.it walloping.
This Is the sltu.it, on : M.il of the
P'lpul.itle't ! poor: that 1, most people
have but little ti"me 'eft after they
have I'ui'Udi'd for the lure necessaries
of life. This ni'iiiev lift after Uiey have
bought f- o.l and p.iM ivnt jrne f"T
elolite..', aiiiiixenn'ius, luxuries. When i
food prieei- are bonsted Ihe f'ud sharks
get a inrger proportion of the people's j
moae and tho other business men ge
a smaller proportion. J licit food prlcei I
men n ilulness n other Hues of business, j
Nun' j ou sei why evcty merchants' j
association, wrj manufacturers' asso
ciation. rt'v chamber of conmii i ce,
,.v.'.v rilboi'l !is"latlon, every amuse-,
nief! ti 1 l.uenr Irterest, every buIiie
lrtere'-t o" ,n j sort, outside of the coin-j
i.'i J'.oti u.er. tiants alone, Is vltully In-1
li'.iivj in i orbing the food shaiks.
Let ibc tte'vsp.ipers awaken the mer
chant and ttianufaeturers' aHfieIation
to tlteir Interest ill the' cruhing of the
fond shark". Once awake they'll do It
mos-t thoroushb. ft. T If.
IlhooKLT.v. February 2S.
STICK TO YOUR LAST!
Kriiniimlr Theories of a Distinguished
Naval Oflleer ('lose) KmiiiiIiipiI.
To tiik l'.iiiTOR or Tun Sun .Sir: Many
of thoe who heard or have read the
lemarks of Hear Admiral Cbadwiek at
the Lawyers Ohio lun-henu on I-'etu-u-arj
17 now understand why Pliny the
Klder advised the shu.jr.'akcr to stick to
bis last.
Whatever the Admtranle Ailmii.it h.e
lo say concerning the navy and its
needs Is sure to bo accepted with the
contldeiice In Us worth ard 'Vlt-doin tirit
jears of practical expe.'ien:e alwajs ,n
s)ire, but when he enters the domain
of economics it Is iialnfull;- evident that
his oplntonsinre entitled to about the
f.itiii! weight as thoe of any landlub
ber who untlceial.es to tfl! an old s.ilt
lioiv to navigate a ship.
"r'reo trade means peace. Protectant
nivalis vvnr, sa.vs our Admi-al 'n nTut,
but history Is siarcned in v.tiu fir tl
deuce to support either cor.tintlou. I Inu
la ml is a five trade nation and t!ra;nn
is a protectionist nation, .vet Uvrmaiir
Insists that free trade Knboid made
war on her because "ne was msanei.i
Jealous of protectionist Gcrnuinj's illl
oieucy and liittetly iee!itftil of Ui r
nian's inroads upon Uril.tlnV trade.
Strange to say, tho Admiral dangles
Germany before our eyes as the injdel
of eltleleney !n the tame speech p, which
he declares that "protection and et'i
cleney are absolutely lntagnhKtle terms"
and that "eltleleney lies with free tiade."
Again be sas, "You will never havo
tile bei-t clothes, the best iljes, ihe
best quality In anything under piotec
tion," but the whole world, except the
It. A., knows that the bet djes i'l the
wotld have been made In Gernianv "un
der protection," and in to the average
quality of ti Miles, clothing and scutes
of other things, everybodj knows that
Amoiloa leads tlte world.
I am afraid our Admiral in Ids pn -
fill leisures has dipped too deeply "t.
"The New Freedom'' to discover Coe
realities of economics, and has b-en
too long under the Intlueitco of t'le
present Omniscient Administration to
have any pride left In ihe capabilities
of his fellow countrymen.
GKOItllE C. IlET7.FI..
Chbsteu, Pa., February 28.
PLAYING FOR TIME.
A Discouraged Citizen's View of Al
ministration Tactics.
To thi: KniTOR ok Tiik Sun Kir: Wn
have all been willing to stand b the
President, provided lie stood up. Hut
why hoodwink ourselves longer? I be
lieve that In reality bu Is an out and
out pacltltt of the llryaii-Ilaker-Dauiels
type, and that the dismissal of Hern-,
stnrff was a mero fop to those or us
who wanted soma action that would look
like an effort toward malntalniiiK tin;
honor nnd dlKiilty of tl.e nation. I do
not bollevo that anything under the sun
that may further occur, short of actual
Invasion of our country, will stir the
President to further action. So let the
parlHMN take lieait. The wretched Mex
ican policy Is to be repeated In tho pres
ent crisis until tho country Is tired out
or has forgotten, Tho Administration Is
merely playing for time.
William W. Ki.jni:.
Hi:aiiinv Pa., Pebru.vry SS.
The Quirt Day.
f'rem thf Dttruit h'ift 'if
A shell went ncreinilng tiverheud.
And when It burnt thren boys ere dead,
And three brows blond beMiatlered;
AnJ nt dublc tbnt day wan this uterflage
ent
Hy ,i i.'nliinct, Knue In iilu canvas lent,
Ah hU i-ldii iintm clicked and clattered 1
"Nn (liunge In position up to dute.
.Nothing of moment lo relate,"
Three mothers eoinenhe'e In sorrou dwell,
And they n their grief to tho ncreamln
Miull
That burnt on that pleasant mornlnc
Tiift a quiet day, co the Colonel lulu,
ll.it It left three lmj in the trenches dead,
And never a new iluy's dawning
Miall fnmii for tliu moihera at home but
they
Shall weep for the lives that U took away,
HOW THE UNITED STATES COULD ESTABLISH FRIENDLY
RELATIONS WITH JAPAN.
Invoking the Koot-Takahlra Agreement, a Policy of Mutual Economic Benefit Should lie lVoposrd ft,
Two Countries Either Enemies or Allies.
No pioplict Is needed to discern among
the more Immediate effects of tho present
war the closer proximity of America and
Japan In China. Tho problem tbero
which before the vvnr Interested nit tho
Kreat Powers has now nnrrowed mainly
to one between an Impotent China, n
strong Japan and ourselves. A far
sighted diplomatist like the lato Count
Nigra once said that tho position of Aus
trla and Italy was such ns to render
Iheni either enemies or allies. Our rela
tions with Japan may well nssinno tho
tunic form, ulthough the giouuds for
difference are. less serious.
If the war has brought ntlded ptos
petity to America, It has done relatively
more for Japan. Hy building- up llnan
chil leserves previously non-existent and
maiding the country' to placo on firm
footing it nascent Industrial organization
Us weaknesses havo been largely reme
died. Tho Japanese business structure, j
of mushroom grow th, which under less i
rn..n..i.i. ..in..H.ui....nAU .l..l,i I, ,.!
lll.oi.ltiir 1 1 iLlllir-litlliec, ,..
plunged the land Into disaster, has. now
justlllod an over rapid development nnd
allows the Island empire to pursue with
new vigor Its expansion In China.
The Kuropc.au Powers, on the other
hard, can In the future hardly refrain
from restricting, when they do not with
draw from, their Chinese holdings. Tho
enormous outlay of tho war, tho vast
amount which must for years be neces
sary to repair Its ravages, Is likely to
cause Flench, Helglun nnd even Lngllsli !
capital to take advantage of favorable!
... t..j t.i m.,11 s,.iM H KoptirilteR to .laoall I
and perhaps the United States, lilniln
Ished Investment will foretoken dimin
ished diplomatic Interest. So far as
Hump" Is concerned the day of spheres
cf lultiietice, of leased territories and
other colonial euphemisms Is over In
blita, probably never to return, liven
Russia, who has refoural her traditional
Inteiest In the near Mast, will bo too
preoccupied by that and a tillticult In
ternal itorganlitutlon to ventuie aggres
sive, action In the extreme Orient.
The Japanese llcy to establish a
kind of Asiatic Monroe Doctrine has, j
owing to the same causes, met with no ,
sllsht success. By forcii of arms she ,
has ousted Germany from the political '
coign of vantage previously occupied at j
Tslng-ihau. Hy force 'f clrcumxtunre ,
mid amicably shu will later. If not elim
inate, at least reduce her nllles' Inter
ests in China. Slto finds herself at pres
ent without a serious prospective rival
save ourselves, and restrained In mod
eration only by the prudence of her
actual statesmanship. This result Is In
no way unexpected mid was foreseen
long beforo tho present war. Plainly
enough in tho event of a convict with
a Kuropeun Power America would be
left face to face with a moro formi
dable Japan and without the benetlt of
such diplomatic assistance as was be
fore obtainable from friendly Powers.
The consequences of this change wore left j
uuptepared. ft Is to be hoped that they I
have now been considered, for they'
must react on the natuiii of support '
given to our traditional policy In China.
In whatever way we may ierard this.,
Its future Is bound to bo Influenced by I
the action of Japan. f
. I , ...III. fAt. .....
.inerira aim ...limn, "nn ..-..i i
souioes nt their command, active, ambl- J
tious and enterprising, each eager to
take advantage of tho moment lo ills. ,
).to:.(ss foiiner rivals In trade, tlud
thi-itiM Ives face to face In a land like !
China 'Vlth tlm vast possibilities such'
ne'ghborshlp presents for conflict or co
operation. ,
It ,s unnece.-s.io here to enter Into the
ciur-es of our previous friction. The
oilgln of trouble with Japan is too well j
Known and must long reinoln a sore
I pot, though If wisely handled It should
not be datigeious and In time ought ,
even to disappear. Certainly we should
! tlte til st to welcome the prosperity of
Japan If only because- the inevitable hi-
crease in nties wlil lend gradually to
do nvvaj with tho disparity of labor,
conditions on both sides of the Pacific.
A rli her Japan w ill mean a nation
who!- workmen, finding enipl.Muent tit
home, do not need lo knocl: at our doors.
Hut until this occurs iam may claps ,
and meantime a e.msi for resentment
must remain In the qia-tion of emUnv- i
tlon with Its coniprt-lii iirilhlo slur on Jap
anese national pride, nntl complicated
in the Cnited States by tho currency of t
vr.ue and inischlevois formulas like,
tlv.it of the "mastery i f the Pacific." i
The ''rend point of danger evists
over China, where our expanding inter
ests must esperleitc. increasing dif
ficulties, ft is rcadl'.v conceivable that
cais may occur whore, rightly or
wiongly, it will be alleged that our
enttrpt ii.e has been t .warted, our coin,
i.iet-ci! blocked, and "ur I'nli.cse ,ou
ussinns nullliled by the Japance as
lettion ot prior rights or femt-lcgal
quibbles. Hut whereas In China the
American Interests whit h may be preju
diced, whether financial, commercial or
industrial, are capitalistic, in Califor-1
nlii they nro labor's. Tho real danger I
for the Cnited 1ates of conflict with
Japan will arise if, for different causes,
the labor and capitalist Interests threat
ened should colncldo or unlto In Influ
encing public opinion against what they i
may regard as a common enemy, nnd a
wave of blind nnd angry resentment
should sweep over ihe country and force
Washington, heedless of consequences,
to assert that rather vague entity known
as American rights.
On tho side ot Japan the force of
opinion is hss powerful; tho risk to.
which we are exposed arises in case or i
cur experiencing complications elso-
A MAN'S RIGHTS.
Curtail Them nnd You Make a 11 pot-rite
of lllm.
To tiik Editor of The Kcn .Sir' For
the average man liberty may bo said to
consist In the following rlshts:
1. To engage or disengage himself as
he wishes.
2. To como nnd go freely wherever ho
pleases,
,1. To eat or drink or say what he
likes.
Curtail the man In any of these nat
ural rights (which, by tho .way, urc
guaranteed to Mm by the American Con
stltutlon) nnd to that extent ho la no
longer free. Hesldes you do not Impiove
tho man. You only make a hypocrite
of him. Whenever ho can ho will try to
cvado tho law which he believes weighs
oppressively on him, Tho only way to
Improve him Is to wean him from his
bad habits, not by compulsory legislation
but by moral suasion.
I'toplnn dreamers and tyros In state
craft would do well to ponder all this
deeply. It Is the lesson of experience In
government, I'iiilos.
New York, February SI.
where. Unless goaded, Japan would bo
most reluctant to pick n quarrel be
cause ot indignities suffered by her emi
grants. Hut Japan might, well tako ad
vantage of our difficulties In some other
part of tho world to confront us with
a Ferles of pressing demands In order
to obtain from us tho acknowledgment
of what sho regards ns her rights.
Among tho likely effects of this war will
bo tho expulsion of Clerman commercial
Interests from the colonial markets of
the Entente Powers, with tho result of
Intensifying tho action tn Latin Amer
ica. If ever wo aro forced to take 'up
the defence of tho Monroe? Doctrtno
without having previously settled our
dllllcultles with Japan, wo shall run se
rious risk of finding her action aiding
that of our advorsnry. From whatever
sldo friction urlses there Is danger In
Its being regarded ns Inherent In the
situation and the supposed Inevltablc
nesc. of a conflict. Few wars nre, how
ever, Inevitablo until after they have
occurred, and certainly neither our pres
ent nor our prospective relations with
Japan warrant such nn outlook or per
mit Its possibility to bo viewed other
wise than as a criminal blunder.
With every wish for peace, care and
diplomatic skill will have to bo exer
cised to maintain It. A few years ogo
we withdrew from the International
financial concert nt l'eklu on tho ground
that to continue In It Implied encroach
ing on tho administrative Independence
of China. In exchange we reverted to
the solltudo of our former position there.
Wo liked to think of tho problem as be
ing entirely nun between China nnd our-
selves when the world would unite with
lis In promoting those disinterested
formulas which we bail found most ad
vantageous, anil which on the surface
other nations seemed to Indorse.
tlrini reality governs the policy ot
Suites whosu financial resources are less
but whoso military strength Is far
greater than our own. The situation
was lluld and the different elements
which composed It were rapidly shift
ing their relatlvo Importance. The Ku
ropean Powers were soon after taken
up by the war and on tho sldo of the
Vlntente their interest In China was con
lined tn the small participation which
llnglauil obtained with dllllculty from
Jupan In the conquest of Tslng-ch.iu.
China herself, hi the throes of internal
troubles and tho painful crisis which
for years she has been travel Mug, was
attempting to fashion a new adminis
trative system which Is still In Its In
fancy. Wo earnestly desire to assist
her In this hard task. The traditions
of a policy ot territorial disinterested
ness urge us to do so and mnku our aid
peculiarly acceptable to the Chinese.
Hut the situation Is no longer the same
ns It was. The power of China has, at
least for tl.e present, declined. The In
tluerioe of friendly Mitropean countries
from whom In the past wo derived as
sistance Is no more exerted. Hetwee1.
America and China lies a magnified
Japan whose wish Is for Chinese evolu
tion to take place through Its own In
termediary, whoso desire is to guide the
grottth of Chinese life In education, in
arms, in Industry, In trade, and to ile-
ivo the advantage inherent tlitoimli
ffiii guidance, whose ambition is les
one of actual annexation than of control
based on lm eer extending Inline. ic- ev
erclsid 111 eery direction,
Japan has never admitted having
broken any pledges with respect to Ch!
inse integrity and tho open door. Our
Interpretation of the latter may differ
from that of the Japanese, who sny that
lliey .see no reason why the door should
be open to every une save themselves.
No purpose Is served in discussing here
tlie merits of the Japanese contention,
though It may be said that we havo at
times In the past badgered Japan un
wisel. Hut whatever fault we havo
found in tho past will be Increased ii
tho future. With nn overflowing popu
lation lequirlng expansion and ur.ablo
to emigrant to America, Japan Intends
to branch out upon the Asiatic mainland
and creato maikets for her enterprise
Corca is l.ers, southern if aiuiuirla !s
liets, Tslna-chnu Is hers. Her agents,
ollkial and unofficial, are se.iticusl
everywhere in China. Whether In l"u
kien. In Shantung or up the YmiKtse,
her interests are widely spread. She
po--seses a class of population unknown
among us especially suitable for cheap
colonization. How is It possible to pre
vent stub expansion on her part, and
gianting that at the cost of a war In
which we might be victorious we could
hnak the power "f Japan, In what way
would that b. to our benefit? Helween
China and omxlves Japan must turn
rnaiiil the Inner line. Proximity of po
.HWn, lunsbi,. of race and tongue,
heaper labor i.tate controlled enter
prise, will always placo her in a more,
favorable position than wn can hope to
occupy in china.
The future will find our Interests con
fronted in China with thoso of Japan,
competing wbere can compete, and
extending aloin, i,uths which aro Impos.
slblo for us to foil. . Yet the particu
lar method she has In mind for advanc
ing her enterpils.) still remains unde
termined, and tlte recent Cabinet crisis
has been interpreted to indicate differ
ences of view over her Chinese policy.
A choice of road lies open to her ns it
does to us, though our own decision may
react on hers.
We run continue In tho future, a we '
nave done in the past, save for one brief
period, proclaiming our friendship for
China and seeking to nld Indlv idunl 1
American enterprise. Hut while our
Isolation and the preeminence we sought
Is the Church hi Doubt About Lying!
To the Editor or Tun Hun Sir: I ,
wish to' commend -Martin W. Littleton's
idea of lying. It Is tho Hlblc idea and
the only safe itround to build upon.
Hell was created by deception, and
suiely "all liars shall havo their part,'
in tho lake which burnetii with fire
and brimstone,"
All lies, oven the "whitest" of tlmm,
have relation to a Mate, worse than,
purgatory, and 1 am surprised that tho
question whether a lie Is ever Justifiable,
should la this day emanate from a
tchurch. William W. lli-i.si:, ;
Ha YSHOfiK, February 28. ,
llefttrniatlon Step by Step,
j From 1h .tfrtdtar.,1 Journal
I The lei criua,lit In New Orleans is ,u
tor, wind Jtitumlns Unite. The "-treet pa-
railn with Blgns and banners has nut yet
been reached
Keeplnc I'p In Kansas.
from iht Toptia Cojilbif
The fact le It baa retched the piint In
thU town where unless one subscribes tn
and reads a. photn play mttcartne h la
Classed M an ignoramus.
did not III the past present serious, rtifc
owing to tho presence of other Towc
In China balancing each other and i.
vldcd In their goal, It Is otherwise t
day. If our Interests thoro am not to
exist merely on sufferance, the tlmt I
must come when they will run counter
to thoso of Japan, with tho result thai
we shall cither havo to retreat or tlao
bo ready to assert them.
Although a land so Immense as Chim
presents nmplo opportunity for all, Pt
tho fact that It Is enmeshed In a n.
work of diplomatic ngrccnicnts, ot corn,
inerclnl nnd political concessions, am
that Its avenues of approach are llmltej
makes competition pecullaily a tiiattq
of pressure at the capital. The whits
hand will especially rest with the Poft
controlling the lines of communication
and transit through which trade must
pass. Jf wo are determined to question
tho assertion of such "rights" In c.nfl
where they may bo exercised by Japan
to her ndvantagc, If we Intend to up"
hold our own Interpretation of Ameri
can rights nnd fit this In with what v,i
think Chlncso Integrity nnd the open
door should mean, the existing points 0(
difference between us will he un
quickly accentuated, Certnlnlv then
can bo few In a nation so pacillc and un
prepared as Is tho United States to-do
who deslro a contllet with a State .
Japan. Hut there aro many who heM
lessly will at any tlmo bring pressure
on tho Government for a vigorous en
forcement of our so-called rights, for
getful of tho consequences their anet.
tlon may Involve, or tlm tlispariie 1
tween tho means at our cumin mil and
the purpose In view.
The policy wo are pursuing In the Tat
East, In spite of Its tnerltoi Inus crfort'
to assist tho Chinese lioveium. nt ana
supposedly ndvancu thereby Vtnerlcar
enterprise, may easily lend us to a polr.i
where It wilt mean a case of light or
scuttle. For the recent piopostd u
tension In our Interests these. If mo-,
seilously Intended titan others tu tin
fast without more adequate dipinni.tn
guarantees than the public has v fa
been mado aware eif, will pic i"ta;c
rather than retard tills
Constructive tllplotn.ic ,t(ins tn sepi,-
thorny questions before 'm be mre I
entangled, and It mav be afked
timely effort em our p.tit, math b
relations were still tioinal, to .n.
about a better understanding with .m,i
and associate her enterprise wp'i ie"
in China In directions where inetwr .
Is feasible, would not meet wt'b a f
nblo response, ttussta in spite of 'u
remembrance of a recent vvnr w.i
to do this. Tho ploblein is t" h.ui
our course so ns to malo nno-'
vnntngeous for Japan In e .titn.n n.ii.
Icy of comparative re-train e...
with our rights nnd our fiiemii
China rather than i in'oai I, oi
of militant augt'es.sioii Too has ot
this niready exlsis in the mm n "
tectc-d Hoot-Takiibita agt ecnn i t of
Hlllrmilig the prlnclpli s of Chouse Hi
peinlence, Inte-gilly and equal in
tunity, nnd calling fur a flank fnin .
of views whenever ilcsirnhb . bt
instruments possess ulight v.il-t, '
vond the spirit which makes tin ".
'he agreement was s,,tt ifter r leg
to the shelf. Hut if He, u- In not' ni.
noro binding nee-d ne si-i,,,! j.
'mportant for Vineiica and Jap. t
be mutually pcisuudfel uf the adv t ..
ill pursuing a common policy Inst, i ,
antagonizing each other The re
ters little, although to obtain fob
It will have to be supplement, d
economic feninilalion like ni, V ti .
.lapane.se- bank, wbli li would in '
v Ide jointly the flu m, ial b ,-i
nese development.
We would In fact .ipptt o 1 le
with seiiotiR advantages It e.,ir I
In spile of her new f..innl i. I
financial assistance we tould oft,
aid her when she we.oc't v
our association mb!.- tu lo i
ftom foreign cuiipln t,i,n I'm
by an alliance with i.rea' lb t . '
understandings witb llu. u i,
selves, her national (.pij,
enter on a couise of urn b
perity. Nor an mir l. - '
granting the iecognin..i, of t . ,
in southern MauetHiiia e . r
to acquiesce In an liu-v It.ii.k J.
expansion In China, wbl b hi.q
of annexation and ple'dgc.s itM-lf i
tlm door relatively open, we f'i '
selves from anxiety in the lin1
pending the settlement vf Thai m
and from solicitude over cm grnT
Japanese prospeiity .tut'Uii.n n"
that dllllculty. We onU g.ve up i
gerous ambition to -eel. pre u,
China In exchange for a pledge . '
elation with Tokio tn the case' .
tain tlnancl.il intere-sts Ho uhn
iinten can wo giv to the tui.i . .
without J'ipaiics, ui.tui-.
can we obtain tins betlir , - ,i ' . "
as an adversary In a eonili , r i
diplomacy? To tho nrguruei
would ho assisting Japan nga t
selves tho answer ma.v be h ft ' A
can capitalists, who aie unlike k i
money without prospn. t eif ben '
Hy assoelnl'ng Japan in i
mutual economic benefit we aim
holding out tiie advantages of
tlon to restrain her more aggi-es
nients. We extend our ow er'i
along safe lines. We :,,.! t'ie
nient of China ami gain tunn f"
pledging respect for cett.ilo eo
which make possible an iiltlin.ii.
try of rights, especially elo e
a future which otherwise m ci
lead either to a lilundeiM.g .
humiliating retreat.
1. 1 w i - ' .
WOMAN. LOVELY WOMAN
Her Lofty Thoughts Preserve
From the Demon of Lonellnc
To the IImtoi. or Tiik Si n
man bad one spark "f res'i
llr. John S Hronsoi wi ,
clfto tho soulful quallUrs (.f n
tlful girls who move wits b
grace about New York ..id be
know what lonesnmeni es t !" .
be so entrained in plucLi'ig one
altruistic creatui'js ami nffeiii.g
heart as a sluiiov.
You never lnar woman mv 1
lonesome, and the reason i.- tl.
something ill heiself. oi I In
thoughts and emotions ta'-e In r
from th petty things of tin '
wrlto contentment in loss lei
brow. .Iaviks 1 1. in mi
New H.wkn, Conn., Kibiuatw .S
II
The Island of l-autliinil, s(l,ibinil
Wales, I In-n.
To Till' Ilnimit or Tin. si s ,
Kf'N rercntll nn r,-'. ' i I
being a "tight lit''.' . ,.i. . It
tiinnfffil 1 1 e Tlieii itbo; t I I n
the paragraph tnukn asp'
SOt'TH IICTIll.l.Ur.M, 11 K till
t:
J
,l-s-1